Triple Strand Crystal + Pewter DIY Necklace

Hello my jewelry lovers! I’ve got a DIY necklace design that I’m excited to share with you today. This triple strand necklace features crystal and pewter elements for a look that can go with both casual and dressy styles. The bib-style coverage will get your jewelry noticed without the bulkiness of a traditional bib design, and of course, as with any DIY necklace, you can customize it with your favorite colors for a look that’s all you!

Today’s post is sponsored by Happy Mango Beads, a fair-trade and eco-conscious bead retailer with many unusual, natural, and ethnic selections. As with every piece I share here though, the design and opinions are all my own; Happy Mango Beads just make my creativity possible by providing the primary components you’ll find in this DIY necklace.

I will leave links to the products that you can shop for at Happy Mango Beads if you’re inspired to try this project for yourself below! This piece takes less than an hour to make, and is suitable for any jewelry maker who has basic wire wrapping skills, or would like to learn and practice making beaded connectors.

Now, to begin, create the beaded connectors that will give your DIY necklace some subtle color and sparkle. For this design, we will be making six small beaded connectors and nine larger beaded connectors. To create a beaded connector, cut a 2-3 inch piece of 20-gauge wire, and about 1/2 inch to 1 inch from the end, form a loop around one of the sides of your round nose pliers.

Then, take the small tail and wrap it around the wire just under the loop you created. Wrap it 1-2 times, and cut any excess wire away with flush cutters.

Add your bead or beads onto the open end of the wire. For the smaller beaded connector, simple add one 4mm bead. For the larger connectors, add a 5mm spacer, a 6mm crystal bead, and a second 5mm spacer (for clarification, you may refer to the photo below). After stacking the bead or beads onto the wire, grip the other end of the wire just above the bead. Form a loop and wrap neat wire coils around the wire between the loop and the beads, just as you did for the first side. Cut away any excess wire to complete each connector.

Make 6 small connectors and 9 larger connectors, repeating the above steps until you have enough. (And don’t forget, if you’d like a larger necklace or you want to see more color or more sparkle, you can make as many beaded connectors as you like for this design!)

Begin connecting the individual elements (the beaded connectors you created and the pewter ball connectors) together with 5mm jump rings. Attach the small beaded connector directly to the 3-strand side of the triangular element, and then alternate beaded connectors and pewter connectors, until finally you finish with a second small beaded connector, and attach it to the other triangular element. Each of the three strans will be slightly longer than the strand above it for a beautiful draped effect. Read on to see the exact pattern used here.

The shortest strand is arranged as follows:

small beaded connector

pewter connector

large beaded connector

pewter connector

large beaded connector

pewter connector

small beaded connector

The middle strand consists of:

small beaded connector

pewter connector

large beaded connector

pewter connector

large beaded connector

pewter connector

large beaded connector

pewter connector

small beaded connector

And the longest strand contains the rest of your connectors, arranged as follows:

small beaded connector

pewter connector

large beaded connector

pewter connector

large beaded connector

pewter connector

large beaded connector

pewter connector

large beaded connector

pewter connector

small beaded connector

You may refer to the photo above as well when you are assembling each strand to the three holes on each triangular element.

Finally, attach a 7-inch length of chain to the single hole at the top of each triangular element. To the ends of your chain, connect a lobster clasp and ring to complete the piece.

Thank you for joining me for this DIY necklace project, and I hope you’re inspired to make your own! Until next time, happy beading!

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I love it when you love my work!
All tutorials and photos published at Happy Hour Projects are copyrighted. If you would like to feature my tutorial on your website or share it on your social media you may use one photo to feature, as long as you provide a link back to the original post.

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I love to share my projects, and my tutorials, recipes, and e-books are ALL free for your personal use. However, photos and ideas that are published to this site are my protected intellectual property. You may print them at home, but please do not copy or distribute them. I also allow all designs to be made and sold at fundraisers, craft fairs, etc. If you are selling a piece made from one or more of my free tutorials in your online shop, I require that you use your own, original photography, and include a link back to my website to credit me as the designer.

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Hello, and welcome! I'm Adrianne, an artist, author, designer, and blogger in mid Michigan. I work from home, chase my two kids, and this once-city-girl is learning how to care for chickens and adjusting to life out in the country.
I have a compulsion for daily creativity... sometimes it's jewelry-making, paper crafting, metal stamping, mixing and baking, or giving new life to recycled items. But with 2 young kids, time is short! My goal here at Happy Hour Projects is to share projects and tips that you can do in an hour or less. The ideas you find here are designed to add a little creativity in your day, no matter how much (or how little) time you have!